Lexington Herald-Leader op-ed July 2011

Discrimination incident in Hazard handled with care

By Bruce Burris and Crystal Bader

Posted: 12:00am on Jul 19, 2011; Modified: 1:42am on Jul 19, 2011

Kentucky, as we know only too well, plays a role on the national stage as the butt of many cruel jokes and condescending asides.

Who hasn't felt that "oh no, not again" feeling when faced with yet another derogatory joke, study, survey, celebrity anecdote and so on which our entertainment and media industries gleefully cultivate?

Most recently, Lexington was stung when named by a men's magazine as the "most sedentary" city in the U.S., apparently based on a rather dubious study that did little more than combine the number of video games bought with the amount of television watched.

If Lexington may on occasion be stung, then little Hazard has often found itself at ground zero for this form of national hazing.

In early June, all the ingredients for a perfect media storm were brewing there, the result of an incident at a city swimming pool in which two gay men (both with intellectual disabilities) were expelled by an employee of the city who cited the Bible while admonishing both men for what, in his opinion, was an excessive display of "gay" affection.

National and even international media followed, as expected, and there was no shortage of outrageous and patronizing coverage.

But what news sources failed to cover was the remarkable way in which those implicated (the city), those aggrieved (the couple), their provider/company and its staff (Mending Hearts) and those who helped advocate and educate (Kentucky Equality Federation) worked together to find common ground and a viable solution.

To us, the most compelling aspect of this story is the way in which Mending Hearts supported its constituents. They never shied away from the simple truth that their clients are gay. According to news reports, it was the agency itself that contacted both Hazard city officials and Jordan Palmer of the Kentucky Equality Federation.

From this, there is much to learn by nearly everyone involved in supporting those considered to have intellectual disabilities in Kentucky. It has been very disappointing to note how little the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, various university-affiliated research and education institutions and related programs and agencies responsible for study and training in the field of disability have done in support of those with intellectual disabilities who are also gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

The silence here pretty much sums up our culture's lack of resolve and makes the practice of discriminating against gay clients — not to mention gay caregivers — acceptable.

While it is probably true that most providers do their best to support gay clients and their staff, substantial numbers do not. In recent years, the Cabinet has courted faith-based providers, some of whom choose legally not to employ gay staff.

Discriminatory hiring practices are, of course, not limited to faith-based providers. But if employing gay caregivers is discouraged by a provider agency, are we really to believe that such agencies are capable of supporting gay clients?

Yet all providers have a mandate to do just that.

Earlier this year, we heard of a local agency that chose to separate two gay clients who shared a residential facility, rather than support the relationship. And recently a longtime case manager mentioned to us that she had never received any training on support of such clients. We believe this gap in education must be addressed.

Our thanks to those involved in the Hazard pool reconciliation for providing a wonderful example of how to support all people. This, in turn, invigorates and encourages the rest of us to stand up and do the right thing in our own day-to-day efforts.

Bruce Burris and Crystal Bader are owners of Latitude Artist Community, a Lexington agency with an emphasis on serving those with disabilities.

Lexington Herald-Leader, Exiles in their own neighborhoods

Opinion - Op-Ed

Tuesday, Jun. 01, 2010 Commentary
Exiles in their own neighborhoods

Reach out to relieve isolation of disability
By Crystal Bader and Bruce Burris
At issue May 14

Herald-Leader news article, "Autistic man died afterpolice cuffed him; that case, another being investigated"

We are familiar with the tragic incident this past April in which Roland Campbell, a young man diagnosed with autism, died while being restrained by police.

While his case is under investigation, it is worth examining an overlooked component to this story. In the media and in chat rooms, Campbell's home is variously referred to as "group home," "residential facility" and a "halfway house."

One Herald-Leader writer describes it thusly, "The program allows people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to receive care in a homelike setting, rather than an institution,"

Though this statement is not inaccurate, how many of us really know what a "homelike setting" means within this context? Is it more or less like the home that we hopefully enjoy? The answer for most of us is that we simply do not know.

An example may be found within a featured segment from WKYT: "Few people seemed to know the residents of the home ... but several neighbors said they often see special-needs buses picking up and dropping off disabled adults. 'They pretty much keep to themselves. I think it's some type of group home,' said one neighbor."

Ten years ago, we addressed this issue in collaboration with a number of agencies that provide residential services in an art installation/performance at the Louisville Visual Art Association called "Group Home." Residents of group homes (current lingo is "residential facilities") were encouraged to explore their lives and their concept of home.

Through photos, writing, artwork and performance, residents alluded to a stark and isolating experience. Sadly, after 10 years, we are here to say very little has changed.

Forty years ago, deinstitutionalization was an enormous step in the right direction, but we have faltered in the goal of establishing a reasonable place for people within their own communities.

It is high time to articulate a plan to empower people with disabilities, and those of us who support them, with the potential to act as contributing citizens instead of isolates.

Well-meaning Kentuckians in various human-service capacities have developed policies over the years intended to aid in this community building.

However, the fact remains that most of what has been created consists primarily of an ever-expanding mound of paper which often serves to hinder direct-care providers in their attempts at creating more inclusive environments.

These mandates are punitive in their insistence that providers impose whatever is viewed by a few professionals as current "best practices" — residue from a dreary cycle of conferences, studies, seminars, symposiums, workshops, surveys and trainings.

We wonder why it seems so difficult to treat neighbors as neighbors. How hard is it to throw a pot-luck for the family next door, plant a garden or attend an occasional neighborhood association meeting?

We all bear responsibility here. What we see in this story is that an utter lack of community inclusion is the norm. Perhaps if ordinary interactions occurred on occasion between Campbell and his neighbors, they might at least be holding a memorial service in memory of a cherished community member, versus questioning the unsettling death of the mysterious disabled man who lived among them.

Crystal Bader and Bruce Burris are co-owners of Latitude Artist Community, a Lexington program serving people with disabilities.

Lexington Herald-Leader, At 10 years old Latitude savors success with disabled artists

At 10 years old, Latitude savors success with disabled artists
Rich Copley Herald-Leader Culture Columnist

Rich Copley staff
Bruce Burris and Crystal Bader and have owned Latitude for 10 years.

Jessie Dunahoo, who cannot see or hear, is one of Latitude's best-known artists. Recently, he was working on a quilt of plastic bags.

Just before lunchtime at Latitude, a yoga class breaks up, the lights go on and the community's artists get to work.

Beverly Baker is working on her latest colorful creation, Will Fister pieces new items into the numerous scrapbooks he carries in his backpack, and Paul McGurl scans a book for new words to place on his collages of languages. In Latitude's foyer, Jessie Dunahoo is piecing together his latest quilt of plastic shopping bags.

Bruce Burris and Crystal Bader, co-owners of the artist community geared toward people with disabilities, say it's a fairly typical morning at Latitude, doing what the project was geared to do.

"For lots of people living with disabilities, they have a pretty low quality of life," Burris says. "We wanted to give people a means of expression and direction that would raise their quality of life."

That's in part what inspired Bader to suggest Latitude as a name for the group when it was founded 10 years ago.

"The word is a directional word," Bader says. "It implies movement, perspective and autonomy."

Bader and Burris met when Burris was heading Minds Wide Open, an arts outreach connected to ARC of the Bluegrass. Bader joined Burris, and for a while, they were the only paid staffers of ARC, an organization that provided housing and services for adults with disabilities. ARC closed in 2005 due to bankruptcy.

Well before that, in 2001, Bader had suggested to Burris that they strike out on their own.

"Crystal said, 'We should try this ourselves and call it Latitude,' and I instantly said yes," Burris says.

The independence allowed them to build the program the way they wanted, although it has never been easy. Neither art nor social services is seen as a lucrative field, and Burris credits his and Bader's spouses, Robynn Pease and Shaun Webster, respectively, with lots of support.

In the beginning, they were in a space at Mecca Dance Studio that owner Teresa Tomb allowed them to use.

"We literally had no start-up money," Burris says. "I don't even think she mentioned rent, but we wanted to pay a portion of what we made. I think or first payment was $22."

The center is primarily supported by billing for services through Medicaid and private donations. It also makes a small commission from sales of art, but Burris says most artists at Latitude sell work through galleries, in which case sales terms are between the artist and the gallery.

Latitude has had its artists show work around Lexington. At Third Street Stuff, owner Pat Gerhard maintains a regular space for Latitude artists; other places include the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and Institute 193, where Dunahoo's exhibit Sheltered Environment just closed.

Dunahoo, Baker and Ralph Reynolds have had work exhibited in New York and elsewhere in the country.

Burris and Bader say they feel as if they have opened eyes in the social services world and in society in general to the value of arts to people with disabilities, and the untapped potential of people who are perceived to have limited skills.

During the past decade, they have been drawn to a stronger advocacy role.

They cite projects including a day when they went to the stoplight at Broadway and New Circle Road, counting the number of cars in 100 light cycles during which people ran red lights (They tallied 107). The point was to document one of the scenarios that makes it difficult for people with disabilities to get around, and to use the skills of Latitude clients to do it.

They also have sponsored inaccessibility tours of downtown Lexington, illustrating to many people how difficult it is for a person with disabilities to get around the city.

"In general, downtown does not work for people with disabilities," Burris says. "It's acceptable but not good."

The 10th anniversary of Latitude has prompted the group to step back and contemplate the next 10 years.

Burris and Bader hope to see a greater emphasis on advocacy.

"I remember long hours of learning a bureaucratic system that offered no support to get through it," Bader says. "You don't hear people say they want to be great in social services."

Another goal is greater integration between disabled residents and the rest of the community.

The sign in front of Latitude on Tuesday morning says the yoga classes are open to all, although all participants were disabled residents or their companions.

"We really want to make it clear that this place is open to everybody," Burris says.

Happy Birthday Latitude, ArtBeat (Lexington Art League)

Ten years ago, Bruce Burris and Crystal Bader lost their minds and opened an artist community to serve differently-abled adults.

Thank goodness they did because now, Latitude is unquestionably one of the best visual arts efforts in Lexington.

If only the rest of us were as committed to art as the folks at Latitude are. Seriously.

Under the guidance of Burris and Bader, the artists of Latitude devote hours a day to artmaking, go to almost every exhibit that opens in Lexington, advocate for reform to improve access for all Lexingtonians, grow community gardens, host health seminars, exhibit their own work locally and beyond, and inspire other local artists like Louis Bickett and Phillip March Jones.

They also offer free yoga twice a week, which is probably where they find the energy to keep going and maintain a purity of purpose that makes them a force to be reckoned with.

If you haven’t been to yoga or seen the work of these artists at Third Street Stuff or congratulated Crystal, Bruce and the Latitude artists on the phenomenal, wonderful, inspirational work that they’re doing, take the time to do so. You owe it to yourself.

Mono prints made by Latitude artists will be exhibited at Third Street Coffee in July. Visit Latitude's blog for other exhibitions and anniversary events.

For more information on Latitude, check out this Herald-Leader article by Rich Copley or check out Latitude’s blog. To see work done by Latitude artists, check out their 10th anniversary exhibit at Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice (112 N. Upper St.) opening this Friday during Gallery Hop.

Latitude Artist Community

About Latitude Artist Community

Monday, July 11, 2011

Latitude's 4th of July Parade entry